My Word Against Yours
by Nicholas Wilde
Summary: After the nighthowler incident, things begin to settle down for respected ZPD Officers, Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde. But when Judy travels to her hometown to celebrate her Mother's birthday, Nick whitnesses a deadly case that leaves him deeply disturbed. Now back in Zootopia, Judy holds the grief-stricken fox close, vowing to never again leave his side.
1. Flashback

**I can't wait to get started on this fic! I absolutely loved Zootopia, and there are just so many potential directions that a story could go using its ingenious plot. In this story, I'm going to explore the relationship of Nick Wilde and Judy Hopps as new and respected members of the Z.P.D. If you're into that kinda thing, Please let me know what you think in the reviews, leave suggestions, and enjoy the chapter.**

 **P.S.- Just to avoid any confusion, this chapter focuses on the press conference seen in the movie as well as Nick and Judy's reaction to the events that happen there.**

 **Once again, Thanks and enjoy the chapter.**

 _Inside the Z.P.D. Headquarters Briefing Room_

* * *

Judy was awfully jumpy prior to the press conference. Her eyes darted franticly from here to there, and her composition was of an unusual nature. Simply watching just how anxious she was made the fox uncomfortable. "Ugh, I am so nervous," She exclaimed to no one in particular.

Nick smiled, cooly turning to face her. "Okay. Press conference 101." he said with a reassuring grin. "You wanna look smart? answer their question with your own question, and then answer that question."

"like this." He said while reciting his best reporter voice. "Excuse me officer Hopps? what can you tell us about the case? Well, was this a tough case? Yes, yes it was."

"you see?"

Judy smiled."you should be up there with me. We did this together."

the vulpine shrugged. "Well am I a cop? No. No I am not."

She glanced at him with a nervous laugh. "Hmm, funny you should say that, because, Well I've been thinking..." She said while retrieving a yellow slip from her pant pocket, "It would be nice, to have a partner..."

Nick stood slightly dumbfounded before accepting the paper with a certain hesitancy. As his green eyes moved along the first line of print, He realized just what had been asked of him.

Judy grinned. It was obvious that he had never dreamed of receiving something like this. "Here."

The startled vulpine looked up. "In case you need something to write with." In her hand, she offered the special recording carrot pen.

Nick was deeply moved by how compassionate the bunny was being to him. In fact, it now made him feel guilty recognizing how he'd treated her just a few days prior. He gently reached out his paw and took the pen from her. Judy understood how deeply sentimental this was for the fox, and smiled affectionately knowing that he could finally move on from his rather dark past.

"Officer Hopps," Bellwether whispered. "it's time."

The bunny quickly flashed a nervous grin to Nick while crossing both fingers, before running to the podium where Chief Bogo was just finishing up. "So now, I'll turn over things to the officer who cracked the case. Officer Judy Hopps." He stepped down, allowing her to take the podium.

Immediately, she was met with a flurry of questions from each anxious reporter.

Judy nervously surveyed the room before calling on a short short brown beaver near the center of the crowd. "Umm... Yes?"

"What can you tell us about the animals that went savage?"

Judy quickly tried to remember what Nick had told her about asking a question for a question... then answering it? She didn't know.

"Well, th- the a-animals in question... um." Her eyes searched rigorously for the fox, hoping that he could help answer in some way. When she found the vulpine, he gave an encouraging hand wave, signaling for her to keep on talking.

Judy nodded gently and looked back to the crowd.

"Are they all different species? Yes, yes they are."

The journalists proceeded to write down every word after finally getting a quality answer, prompting Nick to smile and give an optimistic thumbs up.

"Okay," another journalist inquired, "so what is the connection?"

"Well, all we know is that they are all members of the predator family." Judy replied plainly.

"So, predators are the only ones going savage?"

She nodded. "That is ac-Yes that is accurate, yes."

"Wow." A pig reporter insisted, "Why is this happening?"

"We still don't know." Judy responded wistfully; leading to some noticeable confusion within the crowd. Looks like She'd have to come up with another answer.

"Uh... It may have something to do with biology."

Nick looked up from his paper when he heard that word. _"Biology?"_ the fox thought with a perplexed expression. _"Did she really just say Biology?"_

"What do you mean by that?" Another journalist asked.

"A biological component," Judy explained. "You know. Something in their... DNA."

"In their DNA? A gazelle inquired anxiously, "can you elaborate on that please?"

"Yes." She responded hastily. "What I mean is, thousands of years ago, uh... predators survived through their a-aggressive hunting instincts."

Nick folded the slip up with bitterness and shoved it into his pocket before strutting to the podium. He was clearly distressed about some of the things that Judy was saying about predators, and began to feel something inside of him that he hadn't felt for a very, very long time.

"For whatever reason..." the rabbit continued. "they seem to be reverting back to their primitive, savage ways."

The wheels began turning in Nick's head, as his mind raced to the most irrational conclusions. _"Does she really think of me as primitive and_ savage?" Nick could feel himself breathing more heavily now. _"But Judy is my friend... Why is she saying these things about my kind?"_ He couldn't even tell if he was on the verge of tears, or rage. Horrifying images of these 'predators gone savage' moved across the numerous monitor screens in the room. They lacked conscience, intellect, and control. Their eyes were black. The fox felt both hurt and contempt towards the rabbit, and it seemed as though the world was falling away. He could see himself again as the sad, broken little child on that dread night that he was muzzled and beaten, simply because he was a predator. Just a shifty, no good fox.

"Can it happen again?" Another reporter asked with concern.

"It is possible." Judy replied solemnly. "So we must be vigilant. And we at the ZPD are prepared and are here to protect you."

Once again, confusion gripped the crowd as a flood of questions and statements erupted from nearly everyone in the room. "Will more mammals go savage?!" "Have you considered a mandatory quarantine on predators?!"

seeing how uptight the atmosphere had become, Assistant Mayor Bellwether rushed to the podium and dismissed Judy, immediately ending the tension in the room before it could increase. "Okay, thank you officer Hopps. Uh, that's all the time that we have. No more questions."

The fox watched with with furious eyes as the rabbit stepped off the stage. He was absolutely hurting inside, almost as if his heart had been ripped in half. But by god, there was no way in hell he would let Judy see it had gotten to him.

on the other hand, the rabbit was elated to be done, and completely unknowing of the anguish she had just inflicted on her friend. She grinned and let out a exasperated sigh of relief. "Oh that went so fast, I didn't get a chance to mention you, or say anything about how we-"

"Oh I think you said plenty." Nick interrupted with bitter contempt.

Judy was immediately taken aback by his hostile tone of voice, and asked with concern, "What do you mean?"

Nick narrowed his eyes and glared downward at the bunny while reciting her words. "Clearly there's a biological component? These... predators may be reverting back to their primitive, savage ways? are you serious?"

"I just stated the facts of the case," Judy replied with innocence. "I mean, it's not like a bunny could go savage."

"Right. But a fox could huh?" Nick spoke harshly, his ears lowering defensively.

"Nick stop it." She exclaimed in alarm. "you're not like them!"

The fox leaned forward, speaking in a low growl. "Oh there's a them now?!"

"Ugh, you know what I mean!" Judy cried. "You're not that kind of predator!"

"The kind that needs to be muzzled?! The kind that makes you think you need to carry around fox repellent?" He said gesturing to the pink can clipped to her belt. "Yeah, don't think I didn't notice that little item the first time we met."

Judy looked down, ashamed of her bigoted side-arm, her long ears drooping down in sorrow.

"So, let me ask you a question." Nick muttered heatedly. "Are you afraid of me?"

Judy froze. There was no way she could answer that.

"Do you think I might go nuts?" The vulpine glared at her with nothing but fire in his eyes. "Think I might go savage?" He growled, gradually raising both paws as if it were a threat.

"You think I might try to... EAT YOU?!" He shouted while showing his claws and bared teeth.

Judy gasped and leapt back, and out of complete instinct, had unknowingly reached for the can of Fox repellent.

Nick slowly lowered both hands and looked painfully at the bunny's hand position. "I knew it..."

"Just when I thought someone actually believed in me, huh?" the vulpine sighed, disappointed with himself for even thinking that he could befriend prey.

He reached into his pocket, forcefully handing Judy back the job application she had given him earlier. "Probably best, If you don't have a predator as a partner."

She stared downward, anxiously unfolding the paper before reading the fox's handwriting. Tears filled her eyes when she realized that he had not only filled the form out, but would have gladly joined the Z.P.D. with her as his partner.

However, by the time she lifted her gaze, Nick had already turned and left; storming out of the complex without so much as acknowledging a single person in the room. As he approached the exit, he could hear Judy calling out his name, begging for him to stop and come back. It wrenched at his heart to hear her that way, but his heart had already been broken. The fox departed from the conference without a single word.

* * *

 **Let me know what you think in the reviews! I Promise the story will get more interesting as we go on, so be sure to keep up with it. Also, go ahead and leave suggestions for future chapters, or PM me what you think! anyway- Thanks, Happy Easter (If you celebrate it), and I'll see you on the next one!**


	2. Sunsets

**Hey I'm back everyone! I'm so excited to actually get this story underway, I have so much planned for future chapters and I really hope you like it.**

 **To start off, I'd like to thank my reviewers, you guys are awesome. Thanks to those who offered their support and kind words, I hope you enjoy the chapter. Also, here's a shoutout to those who offered constructive criticism. I'm always glad to find room for improvement, so thanks to all of you. Also just to clarify to those with questions once more, the previous chapter was a FLASHBACK.**

 **So with that out of the way, sit back and enjoy the chapter. I'll see you on the next one.**

Nick buckled his seatbelt while sitting the passenger side of Judy's vehicle. He grinned, carelessly flipping the aviator sunglasses down onto his muzzle, before kicking his feet up and resting them on the dashboard.

"What are you smiling at?" Judy asked as her ears perked up.

"Oh you know carrots." the fox teased with a smirk.

She rolled her eyes. "Ugh... You know we should've let him off with more than just a warning."

"Ah you know Flash." Nick replied with a savvy grin. "The guy wouldn't hurt a fly.

"Yeah, You're probably right." Judy replied. "But regardless, Chief Bogo will want my badge for this."

The vulpine chuckled and leaned back into his chair. "Bogo's more bark than bite carrots, and like always, I have your back."

"I know."

Judy smiled back. To be honest, she always wondered how this fox could maintain such an upbeat attitude towards everything. Just another reason to like him she guessed.

"Plus, It's Friday!" Nick exclaimed with delight. "That means we won't have to file a case report until Monday. It also means that we get the entire weekend to ourselves. Just you, me, and no worries..."

"Don't we have an interview with ZNN tomorrow?" Judy asked with concern.

The vulpine shrugged. "Ah they can wait. But this whole Night howler thing has basically made you a celebrity hasn't it?

She giggled when that word left his mouth, but shook her head. "Both of us actually. And I wouldn't use the word celebrity either."

"What are you talking about?" Nick asked in disbelief. "You're the practically the face of the entire ZPD now. Of course you're a celebrity!"

She let out an awkward sigh. "I mean, it's not like I asked to be recognized for what I did. I'm just here to make the world a better place, ya know?"

the fox nodded casually. "Whatever you say carrots. Oh, Speaking of celebrities, you're familiar with pop-sensation Gazelle right?"

"Absolutely!" Judy exclaimed. "I own every album she's ever made!"

"Well then Officer Hopps," Nick beamed. "You'll be happy to know that I overheard a conversation with Clawhauser back at the station this morning."

"You were eavesdropping?"

The fox laughed. "It's in my nature sweetheart, call it what you will."

"So, me being me, I decided to preform a little 'Investigation' of my own. And let me just say, you would not believe what I found out.

Judy smirked, her ears rising in anticipation. "Okay then, 'Detective Wilde', I'm all ears."

It seemed as if the vulpine could hardly contain himself. "Whatever you do, don't freak out, but I heard that Gazelle want's to meet face to face with you and me before her show tomorrow night at Zootopia's concert hall."

Judy stared at him with an expression that was nothing short of appalled. She was speechless.

"R-really?" She managed to choke out.

The fox nodded gently. "Really carrots."

"YES!" She leaped across the the car to hug the startled vulpine, as the 'inner fangirl' swept her disposition like a tidal wave. "OH THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THIS IS AMAZING NICK!"

"W-whoa easy there Hopps! And watch the road!" the fox stammered. "Why are you thanking me?"

Judy brushed her large ears back. "Why, for everything Nick! You believed in me when no one else would, You saved my job, You saved my life, You... You saved Zootopia!"

She glanced down to her silvery badge, then to her carrot pen, which had been safely tucked away in her coat pocket. "And... you forgave me..."

Nick slowly leaned forward and removed his glasses. He stared at her with an obvious confusion.

"H-how did you forgive me Nick?" She asked with hesitancy. "I mean, If you had said some of those horrible things about me, I probably would've never gotten over it. So... How could you ever absolve me from that?"

The fox rubbed the back of his neck and sighed. "Judy... It has never, ever, been in me to hold a grudge. I was angry. Everybody gets angry. It's normal."

"But the thing is... you're my only true friend Judy." The fox silently removed his badge and held it in his palm.

He looked to the bunny with an expression of sadness in his eyes. "When I was a kid, Mom would often say that in Zootopia, anyone could be anything. But after my experience with the ranger scouts, I believed that you could only be what you were."

The vulpine stared down at his medallion, fiddling with it between his fingers. "and for the longest time, I didn't even believe in myself..." He smiled weakly, closing his paws around the badge, and gripping it tightly. "Yet, I soon found that a person often meets their destiny on the road they take to avoid it." He looked to Judy with a sheepish grin. "So... when I met this dumb bunny with a larger-than-life dream to become a cop, I learned something from her that would change the course of my life..."

"It turns out that life is a bit more complicated than just a slogan on a bumper sticker."

"Real life is messy."

"we all have limitations... We all make mistakes..."

"Which means, Glass-half-full, we all have a lot in common."

"And the more we try to understand one another, the more exceptional each one of us will be."

Nick locked eyes with his partner, and re-pinned his Z.P.D. badge to his uniform. "Judy... I treasure our friendship. I treasure every single moment that we've experienced together, and I want you to know that I would never, no matter how furious, throw any of that away. You're my partner, and I'll always be around to forgive you and your mistakes."

Judy broke her gaze and stared to the floor. "Thank you Nick..."

Nick rubbed his neck nervously as he searched for some way to continue the conversation "Carrots I..."

"I'm sorry too."

The bunny whirled around to face the fox, completely shocked by what she had just heard. "W-what?"

The embarrassed fox simply lowered his ears. "Since the moment we've met, I've been untrue to you. I guess it's my own fault really... you know, living up to that whole sly fox stereotype. But I just never thought about how my actions might have affected others."

He sighed. "Now, I'm different. I have new friends, a career that I love, and a reputation to live up to. I have you to thank for all that."

"So... Thank you Judy."

They both looked away for a while, not out of anger or hurt, but out of respect for the other.

"Wow." Nick exclaimed with awe. "Now would you at that."

Judy peered upward, and was momentarily blinded by the red light emanating from the horizon. But ever so slowly as the light adjusted, A waterfall of the most beautiful shades of yellow, orange, and purple came to dominate the sky. It was undoubtedly the most beautiful sunset she'd ever seen.

"My god... That's beautiful."

the vulpine lowered his sunglasses and smiled. "You know when I was a kid, Mom would always take me to the roof of our little apartment, and we'd watch the sunset together. If the money came through, we'd have ice cream cones and maybe a bottle of ginger ale. But after that night the ranger scouts muzzled me. I-"

Judy noticed that his warm grin had disappeared.

"I stopped going up there with her... She'd plead with me, but every time I'd refuse, making up some stupid excuse to avoid exposing my vulnerability."

"Over time, I got better at making up the excuses, lying, and deceiving those I trusted. Pretty soon, I was reeling in 200 bucks a day just by conning each and every person I crossed. She knew that I did it, but could never understand why I had stopped watching the sunsets with her. She really just wanted to spend time with me, and It broke her heart..."

"Then... One quiet evening... As the sun shone its last into the night... She died." He lifted his sunglasses and discreetly wiped away a single tear, hoping that Judy would fail to notice.

He sniffled. "I still miss her sometimes."

Judy slowly placed her paw on his shoulder. "Well Nick... If you'd like, I'd be happy to drive out to Bunny Burrows with you and watch the sunset sometime. Out on that barren plain somewhere lies an enormous Oak tree. And every night when the sun hits the horizon, the light bursts into the sky in every magnificent color that one can fathom."

The fox turned and wiped away another tear. "You'd do that for me Judy?"

"Of course Nick... We're partners."

"No..." He placed his hand on hers and smiled.

"We're family."

 **So what'd you think? I know,the grammar might not be the best, but I was really working on a tight schedule so... yeah. Anyway, If you would like to help on that matter, please let me know via review or PM. Please leave a suggestion for your ideas on future chapters, constructive criticism, or anything kind you have to say in the reviews. Thanks and until the next chapter: Wilde, Out.**


	3. Aviators

**Hi again everyone! Hope you're still sticking with the story because this is the longest chapter yet, and I cannot wait to see what everyone thinks! I've worked my tail off here (literally) and I'm pretty satisfied with the end product. But like usual, all constructive criticism, suggestions, and corrections to make the story better are greatly appreciated. Also... THANK YOU! 70 followers in just 2 chapters! You are all the best! And a special shoutout to those authors out there who reviewed, you know who you are, so thank you too!**

 **To everyone who left suggestions, I've taken them into consideration, and I will continue to consider suggestions that are issued in future chapters.**

 **I really hope you enjoy the chapter, because Nick and Judy are going for one emotionally WILDE ride. ;)**

* * *

 _The Next Evening_

Nick brushed his ears back as he stopped to examine himself in the mirror, humming cheerfully as he combed his hands through his fur. The fox wanted to look somewhat presentable for Judy on her big night, while avoiding anything too flashy. His police uniform would suffice for the occasion, but might remind his partner of her duties as a cop, and that was the last thing he wanted on their night off.

"What to wear..." Nick muttered silently as he ran his paws over a messy pile of clothing. The fox could wear his usual attire, a light green Hawaiian shirt, a dark indigo necktie with red-and-blue stripes, and a pair of brownish-gray pants. Judy never had a problem with it, and he'd always liked the way it looked.

He clutched the tie in his right paw and slid it over his neck. "Okay, just like Mom taught." the fox mumbled rather blankly. " Take the end over to the left, up into the neck loop, and down to the left." He firmly secured the loose ends around the back near the neck loop before proceeding to slip on his shirt and pants. He checked himself in the mirror once more, carefully analyzing both his outfit and overall appearance.

He felt satisfied enough, and a with a quick splash of cologne, he grabbed the car keys and left the house.

Nick had been living near a quiet meadow just outside of Zootopia, a bit North of Anamalia, and a bit East of the burrows. After landing a job hustling with his best friend Finnick, the fox found a place that he could live in relative solitude. Here in a run down cabin without electricity and running water, for almost fifteen years his location was completely off the grid. It certainly helped with tax evasion, that was for sure, but his actual address, 1955 Cypress Grove Lane, had only recently been added to the map due to the fox's new career with the Z.P.D. Now with enough money to actually call the place a home, Nick could afford to legally keep a house.

As he approached his new vehicle, (also courtesy of the Z.P.D.) Nick noticed that the evening sun was just setting on the horizon. As it cascaded into the night, his heart ached for a brief moment, but quickly ceased without recurrence. He shook his head and sighed. The fox had been having consistent flashbacks of his childhood, so much that other people had began to notice. And to be honest, that was the last thing that he wanted. He clenched his fists and looked down from the sky. "Just don't let em' get to ya Nick... you've moved past that, she's already gone..."

The vulpine anxiously glanced at his phone. "It's 7:45 already?!" He absolutely didn't want to keep Judy waiting, and hastily unlocked his car. He quickly threw a mint in his mouth and flipped his sunglasses onto his muzzle before turning the ignition. the vehicle roared to life, and Nick began the drive to downtown Zootopia.

 _Meanwhile_

Judy eagerly paced the length of her tiny apartment as she waited in bitter anticipation for her ride. "I swear, if we are even a single minute late to meeting Gazelle at the concert hall, I'm gonna wring that fox's neck."

She anxiously strutted over to her second story window, looking down to the bustling streets below. "They're all probably making their way to Animalia now," Judy grumbled, while face-pawing herself. "Dumb bunny... Why would you ever let Nick take the car, or let alone trust that he could make it here on a decent schedule?" She whipped out her phone to text the vulpine, before her fingers went flying across the screen in a fury of typing.

 _[JH: Where R U? U were supposed 2 B here 10 minutes ago!]_

Nick of course, didn't immediately reply which sent Judy into even more of a rage.

 _[JH: Nick U better not B ignoring me!]_

 _[JH: Nick!]_

 _[JH: U dumb fox! The concert starts in an hour!]_

 _[NW: WHAT?! The concert's today? OMG I TOTALLY FORGOT!]_

Judy nearly dropped her phone when that message came in. "H-he forgot?!" she stammered in utter disbelief. "How in God's name could he forget?!"

 _[JH: WHAT DO U MEAN U FORGOT?!]_

 _[NW: Im so sry Judy! I completely missed the date!]_

 _[JH: NICK!]_

 _[JH: WHEN IM THRU WITH U YOU'LL WISH YOU'D GONE SAVAGE!]_

 _[NW: Haha calm down carrots. look outside.]_

Judy's eyes darted up from her phone and down to the parking lot, where Nick sat chuckling against the hood of his car. "Hey Carrots! Did ya' really think I would forget a backstage meeting with Gazelle?!" Her jaw dropped wide open. He had been in the parking lot the entire time. "Y-you sly fox!"

"Well what are you waiting for?" Nick hollered. "Let's go see a concert!"

Judy rolled her eyes and giggled. She could never really be angry with him. After all, he was a fox, a natural jokester by heart. She sprinted out of the room, down the stairs, and out the main doors, before hopping into the passenger seat. Nick removed his glasses and laughed. "Well well well... Here she is... Officer Judy Hopps."

"Oh shut it ya' dumb fox!" Judy exclaimed while playfully slugging him in the arm. The vulpine grinned sheepishly. "Hey, you look good carrots."

Judy smiled and looked down. She wore a casual light blue T-shirt with a pair of black pants. "Why, thank you Nick... You don't look to bad yourself." She sniffed the air. "And is that cologne you're wearing?" the fox chuckled. "Ya' gotta smell good if you're gonna impress the ladies."

She cocked an eyebrow. "Uh... you don't mean Gazelle, do you?" Nick smiled. "Well, who else would we be going to see?" He replied jokingly.

Judy punched him in the arm. "Ow!" Nick yelped. "I was just kidding Hopps!"

She smirked unapologetically. "Yeah... I know." He sighed and grumbled something under his breath. "Whatever... Let's get going, I wouldn't want to miss flirting with your favorite pop-star." He flipped his aviator sunglasses down onto his muzzle as he turned the ignition. "Hey Nick?" Judy asked while observing his dark shades."Where'd you ever get those sunglasses anyway? It's almost like you never leave home without them."

"Oh what, these?" He replied, holding the glasses in his paw. "I got these aviators right before we met."

"But where'd you buy them?" Judy continued. "I mean, It's not like they popped out of thin air." Nick shook his head. "Well, that's where you're wrong Carrots..." Her ears shot up in surprise. "Wait what?! They DID pop out of thin air?!" The fox laughed. "No no no, I meant that I didn't buy them."

Judy dropped her ears. "Oh..." It was safe to say she felt pretty stupid. "S-so, you stole them?"

"Well, I wouldn't say that..." the vulpine replied. "I mean, back then if I felt the need to buy something, I'd just hustle someone into getting it for me."

She crossed her arms. "That's stealing Nick. Regardless of how you put it."

The fox sighed in annoyance. "Anyway, I just happened to be strolling around the supermarket of downtown Zootopia when suddenly out the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of these great pair of aviator glasses."

Judy rolled her eyes. "I don't care how magnificent they were, it still doesn't justify you taking them."

"Whatever Judy, They were just glasses." Nick replied somewhat irritably. "Anyway, I walked over to these aviators right? and I'm thinking in my head, that these look just like the pair of shades that my old man had before he left for the service."

"Do you think he would have approved you hustling someone for them?"

Nick shot a cold look at his companion. "Okay Hopps... I'm not who was then, and you know it... so drop it."

"But your Dad-"

"Don't use my father as an excuse for my life choices." Nick hissed. "And seriously, I'm nocturnal." The fox retorted. "Most of the population consists of diurnal mammals that don't even need glasses for the daytime. Their eyes work just fine."

The vulpine seemed to be getting rather fired up, and she decided it was time to tone things back a bit. "I'm just saying that it's morally wrong Nick." the bunny explained softly. "It shouldn't matter that you're nocturnal."

"Well Judy, I was never raised with the best morals that life had to offer in the first place!" The fox snapped. "My life isn't all peaches and cream Smalls! It's been hard! But of course, it appears that some ignorant bunnies wouldn't know that!"

Judy shrank back, quite startled by his harsh change of voice. Was he trying to tear her down? It sure seemed as if he had a talent for making her feel bad about her fortunes in life. Her little pink nose began to twitch as the tears welled up in her normally bright purple eyes. Her bottom lip trembled as she shielded her face from him.

The fox sighed sadly and rubbed gingerly between his eyes, before slowly halting the vehicle.

"Look, I'm sorry Carrots... I really didn't mean to snap at you like that, I just-." She could see that he felt awful. "I've just been struggling since that talk we had about the sunsets... You know, with my mother and everything..."

She wiped her eyes with her sleeve. "You have nothing to apologize for Nick..." Judy sniffed and placed her paw on his. "I'm sorry for being such a pest."

Nick smiled softly. He loved it when she would touch his paws. "I'm gonna work this out Carrots. But it's mine, and mine only to work out." The fox replied gingerly. "Can you please just let me solve this on my own?"

"Well, the thing is..." Judy hesitated. "You don't have to solve this on your own..."

He turned to his companion and grinned softly. "Yeah... I know."

Judy sniffled and wiped her eyes. "Y-You know you love me... Right?"

The fox's ears shot straight up as the skin underneath his fur turned bright red. "What? D-do I love you?" He choked.

She blushed and looked down. You could always tell when Nick would get nervous just based off how he talked.

"Yes... Y-yes I do..." The vulpine sighed. "Here."

Judy's eyes shot up. "Nick?"

"Go ahead Hopps." He was holding out his sunglasses in his palm. "I want YOU to have them."

"M-me?" She stammered. Nick nodded.

"But I can't jus-" He held up a paw. "Don't worry. I'll buy my own Carrots. I'm officially starting over, and I'm wiping the slate clean. So just take them as thanks for putting up with my attitude for the past few days."

She hesitantly received them from the fox, and gingerly slid them onto her shirt collar. "Thank you Nick. I-I don't know what to say."

"Then don't say anything." The vulpine replied smiling. "We're almost there."

 _Zootopia's Concert Hall_

The concert hall was jam packed. thousands of the city's residents had come together to celebrate the mending of bonds between both predator and prey, as well as the end of the dread night howler outbreak. Every possible animal was there. Elephant and mouse, dog and cat, even fox and bunny.

Nick locked the car.

"It's not like anyone is going to take it Nick." Judy said innocently.

The fox chuckled. "Well it's a good habit to get into Carrots. Here in the big city, you just never know who might take advantage of an unlocked car"

She looked at him. "You sound like you speak from experience."

"I am." his ears dropped slightly. "But i'm not that person anymore."

Judy smiled warmly. "I know. Let's go inside."

* * *

The panther swiftly unclipped his gun holster. "Halt! state your business, you are in a restricted area!"

"Woah woah woah! Easy man!" Nick exclaimed before flashing his badge. "We're Z.P.D. just like you."

The weary guard eyed the fox suspiciously before holstering his weapon. "State your business then, Officer..."

"Wilde." the vulpine replied quickly. "Officer Nicholas Wilde."

"Nicholas Wilde." the panther continued. "Then I reckon you must be Judy Hopps?"

Judy nodded. "We're here to see gazelle before the show starts... Unless, there's an issue?"

"There's no issue Lieutenant Hopps. The chief's just got us on high alert amidst a rumor being passed on the streets."

"Rumor?" Judy asked with concern. "What rumor?"

The guard shook his head. "I wouldn't want to worry you with it now. Bogo will probably let you know on Monday anyway." He quickly opened the door. "Gazelle is prepping for the show down the hall. Take the first doorway on your right, unless you wanna get chewed out by the chief, He's a bit further down shouting at the other officers."

"Roger that." she replied. "What's your name recruit?"

The panther smiled. "Deputy James Barrington. But you'd probably be more familiar with my uncle, Renato Manchas."

"Mr. Manchas?!" Nick yelped.

"Yeah." James continued. "I heard that you guys had quite the encounter during this whole night howler thing."

"We almost died!" the fox exclaimed.

"Be nice." Judy whispered.

The panther sighed. "No, It's alright. But he sends his sincerest apologies."

"He better have."

"Shut up Nick." Judy hissed.

James checked his watch. "Well, the show starts soon, so you might wanna get going. I Hope to see you two at the station sometime."

She grinned. "As do we, Mr. Barrington."

They quickly strutted through the doorway and began their walk down the long hall. Just as the panther had explained, Chief Bogo could be heard shouting at the other recruits a bit further down. "Let's avoid that entire commotion." Judy spoke anxiously. "Chief sounds pretty irritated."

"Heheh." Nick grinned nervously. "Fine by me Carrots."

A bit further down, a black metal door appeared along the right wall. "I-is this it?" Judy stammered.

The fox cocked an eyebrow. "James said the first door on the right, and I don't exactly enjoy the idea of receiving parking duty as punishment from Chief, so yeah. I'd assume this it'd probably be it."

Judy apprehensively brushed her ears back. "I'm so nervous Nick. What if I make a complete fool of myself in front of Gazelle? What would she think?"

The vulpine slung his arm around his companion and gave a re-assuring smile. "Look Smalls. I'm just as nervous as you are. Trust me. But I know that you won't make a fool of yourself."

She looked down. "How could you know that? You wouldn't know how I act when I'm nervous."

Nick chuckled and shook his head. "No, but I certainly know how you act when you're not yourself. Last time, you almost lost me as a friend."

"Yeah." She sighed. "The press conference. I remember."

"But that's not the point." The fox continued. "The point is to be yourself. Don't let anyone speak for you. Because tonight is your night, and it's yours to enjoy."

Judy smiled and hugged him. "Thanks ya' dumb fox."

"Sly bunny" Nick replied with a smirk

"Well... Here goes nothing." She slowly twisted the door handle.

* * *

 **So I really wanted to get this chapter out on a weekend, and to save time, I decided to split my idea into two chapters. Nick and Judy's actual meeting with Gazelle will begin in the next one. Sorry to those of you who thought that'd be in this chapter.**

 **Like usual, please review, follow, or favorite, BECAUSE YOU GUYS ARE THE ONES THAT KEEP ME WRITING.**

 **Thanks so much, and I'll see you on the next one. -Wilde, Out.**


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